Renewed Concerns About Congressional Age as Lawmaker Lives in Senior Community
Over the past weekend, renewed concerns about the age of U.S. Congress members came to light following reports that U.S. Rep. Kay Granger, aged 81 and nearing retirement, has been living in a senior residential facility. Granger has been absent from voting since July, according to statements from her family.
According to an investigative report by The Dallas Express on Friday, Granger is currently residing at Tradition Senior Living in Fort Worth, a facility that includes memory care services. Although Granger’s son, Brandon Granger, clarified that his mother is not in the memory care section, he confirmed her residence at Tradition Senior Living and disclosed to The Dallas Morning News that she has been experiencing “some dementia issues” towards the end of the year.
Following the revelations, Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.) expressed his concerns on Sunday, stating: “The prolonged absence of Kay Granger underscores the issue with a Congress that values seniority and connections over merit and new ideas. We are dealing with a sclerotic gerontocracy.”
The issue was also highlighted by journalist Mehdi Hasan who criticized the prevalent gerontocracy in American politics across both major parties, labeling it as “an absolute embarrassment.” Similarly, journalist Ken Klippenstein took to Bluesky to discuss the need for media transparency regarding the age-related impairments of elected officials. He pointed out that “the existence of the gerontocracy is partly due to the media’s reluctance to address these issues.”
A 2023 analysis by The Washington Post showed a rising trend in the median age of Congress members over recent decades. Last year, nearly half of all Congress members were Baby Boomers, and 19 lawmakers from the Silent Generation, born between 1928 and 1945, were elected to the 118th Congress.
The age topic was also prominent in the 2024 presidential race. After President Joe Biden withdrew as the presumptive Democratic nominee due to a problematic debate performance that raised questions about his fitness to run, there was a reshuffle in Democratic congressional leadership roles leading to younger members assuming more prominent positions. Despite this, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.), at 35, lost her attempt to become the leading Democrat on the House Oversight Committee to 74-year-old Rep. Gerry Connolly (D-Va.).
Dan Pfeiffer, co-host of Pod Save America, reflected on the implications of prioritizing seniority over political acumen and messaging skills on the social media platform X in mid-December. He suggested that this preference for seniority was a key factor behind the Democrats’ loss in the recent presidential election.
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